We are reaching out to invite your participation in a critical regulatory challenge facing our community. Attached to this email, you will find a draft public comment template opposing Ash Grove Cement’s application to burn Alternative Low Carbon Fuels (ALCFs) in the Clarkson Airshed under ERO Notice 026-0626.
This template is designed to accommodate whatever level of engagement suits you best:
Submit As-Is: You can adopt and submit the full document directly to the Environmental Registry of Ontario (ERO) portal.
Customize & Adapt: You are welcome to pull individual sections, reframe arguments, or cut and paste specific scientific and policy points into a personalized submission.
A Note on the Document’s Length (6 Pages)
While a 6-page submission may seem lengthy, we strongly encourage you to read the entire document.
Beyond serving as a formal objection template, this submission functions as a comprehensive summary of the systemic issues with Ontario’s ALCF permitting framework (O.Reg 79/15). It details the serious public health risks, post-combustion chemical dynamics (such as PM 2.5 formation and heavy metal condensation), microclimate trapping along the Lake Ontario shoreline, and the ongoing failure of provincial authorities to conduct cumulative impact assessments in an already compromised airshed.
Submission Deadline
The public comment period closes on July 27, 2026, at 11:59 p.m. EDT. Please ensure your comments are submitted before this window closes.
Thank you for your ongoing commitment, vigilance, and dedication to protecting the health of our residents and the integrity of our shared airshed.
Dear Neighbours, Community Partners, and Local Stakeholders,
We are writing to sound an urgent alarm regarding our shared local airshed. The Ministry of the Environment (MOE) is currently awaiting public feedback on an application by AshGrove Cement to transition its Mississauga facility to burn Alternative Low-Carbon Fuels (ALCFs).
The absolute deadline for public comment is July 27, 2026. We encourage you to submit your comments no later than July 26, 2026.
The Context: What is the ALCF Program?
The Ontario Government, under regulation O.Reg 79/15, encourages industrial facilities to substitute traditional fossil fuels like coal with Alternative Low-Carbon Fuels. The stated goal of this initiative is three-fold: divert non-recyclable waste materials from ending up in provincial landfills, lower industrial fuel costs, and lower greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by reducing dependence on coal.
While reducing landfill waste and cutting global carbon emissions are vital goals, the execution of this project at the Mississauga plant raises critical questions about our public health and community safety within the stressed Clarkson/Oakville airshed.
The Problem: A Burdened Airshed and a Missed Opportunity
The Ash Grove facility remains the single largest industrial polluter within the Clarkson Airshed and the City of Mississauga. Our local community is already bearing an immense environmental burden. This vulnerability is dramatically worsened by the increasing frequency and intensity of Ontario wildfires which in conjunction with heat domes have repeatedly trapped severe particulate pollution over the GTA. In the past week (the week of Monday, July 13, 2026) this has resulted in some of the worst air quality indexes globally.
Furthermore, Enbridge Gas plans to expand its direct pipeline infrastructure to the Ash Grove facility. This pipeline gives the plant the immediate capability to phase out coal entirely in favour of clean-burning natural gas, which would significantly reduce emissions.
Why is Ash Grove Pushing for “ALCFs” Over Pure Natural Gas?
Community members have rightly asked: If a direct natural gas line is ready, why not transition 100% to natural gas to help accelerate a true path to Net Zero emissions by 2050?
From the company’s perspective, natural gas is still a fossil fuel, which counts fully against their regulated carbon targets. To lower their net emissions on paper, they rely on the biogenic content found in alternative waste fuels (wood chips, paper, or sawdust). Because biogenic matter absorbed carbon during its lifecycle, industrial carbon accounting considers its combustion to be ‘carbon neutral.’ Essentially, biogenic materials are treated as not having carbon dioxide emissions when used as a fuel. Additionally, burning processed waste is significantly cheaper for the facility than purchasing natural gas at market rates.
However, for residents living near the plant, burning solid waste fuels instead of natural gas introduces an unpredictable array of unquantifiable combustion byproducts, heavy metal residues, and unmonitored air contaminants into our air. In other words, we don’t really know what is going into the kiln and we don’t know what’s coming out of the stack. This would violate the intent of the special recognition given to the Southdown Industrial District. We believe the health of Mississauga residents must take priority over corporate carbon accounting strategies.
Take Action: Submit Your Comments Before July 27
Our community voice matters. We are finalizing a template comment letter that you can use to easily copy, customize, and submit your formal feedback to the Ministry. We will circulate this template shortly. Please do not include personal information (like a home address or phone number) inside the actual text body of the comment box. The ERO publishes approved comments publicly, and if they spot a home address or personal phone number in the text, they will still review it but cannot publish it for others to see.
In the meantime, if you wish to read up on this issue, please refer to the formal applications and other primary sources below.
Despite months of resident engagement through the 2026 budget process, Council voted against the proposal and instead, a motion was introduced to hire two additional internal auditor employees to conduct a “Value-for-Money” audit within the City administration
Our communities believe that accountability and transparency are essential to maintaining public trust. When residents take the time to participate in the democratic process, their voices deserve to be heard. Residents’ groups will continue to advocate for stronger independent oversight at City Hall and encourage Council to reconsider this important issue in the future.
A great article was written by Anu Radha Verma of The Pointer which outlines what transpired and what may happen going forward.
Mississauga Ward 7 Councillor Dipika Damerla, is proposing that Mississauga have its own Auditor General — a move that many believe has been long overdue and could significantly change how legal oversight, accountability, and municipal decisions are handled locally.
What is an Auditor General?
An Auditor General is an independent official who reviews how a government or city spends money and makes decisions. Their role is to ensure transparency, accountability, and proper use of public funds, and to identify waste, risks, or mismanagement — then report those findings to council and the public.
What could this mean for residents?
• Stronger local oversight and accountability • Faster legal response on city matters • More independence in handling investigations and governance • But also — potential new costs, expanded bureaucracy, and questions about jurisdiction
This proposal could shape how decisions are made in Mississauga for years to come, and public input matters.
Do you support Mississauga having its own Auditor General? What concerns or benefits do you see? Should this be decided by council alone, or through broader public consultation?
Stay informed. Ask questions. Get involved. Local decisions have a real impact on our community.
AG for Mississauga Town Hall
Click below to register for this Online event Feb 24 from 7pm to 8pm EST
MIRANET recently held its Annual General Meeting, where we reflected on our accomplishments over the past year and celebrated key milestones. We elected our new Board of Directors and charted a clear course for the year ahead. We were pleased to reconnect with longtime ratepayer groups and affiliates to discuss the important issues impacting our communities across Mississauga. A special thank you to Mayor Carolyn Parrish for sharing her vision for the city and engaging in thoughtful dialogue on matters our residents care deeply about. We also extend our sincere appreciation to all our ratepayer groups and citywide affiliates for your continued support. Together, let’s continue to make a meaningful difference.
A special thanks to Meaghan Nicholls, CEO Food Banks Mississauga and Sean Meagher, Coordinator of the Metamorphosis network for your thoughtful insights.
Please visit us at @miranettalks on YouTube for the full discussion
Our Annual General Meeting was a wonderful opportunity to reflect on a year of progress, growth, and collaboration within MIRANET. Together, we celebrated our successes, elected our new leadership team, and set an ambitious direction for the coming year. It was especially meaningful to gather with our long-standing ratepayer groups and affiliates to discuss the shared challenges and priorities facing our neighbourhoods across Mississauga.
We are grateful to Mayor Carolyn Parrish for joining us, sharing her vision, and engaging in open dialogue on the issues that matter most to our residents. Thank you to all our partners citywide for your ongoing support—let’s keep working together to strengthen the community we are proud to call home. We extend our sincere thanks to Meghan Nicholls of Food Banks Mississauga and Sean Meagher of The Metamorphosis Network for their meaningful insights and valuable perspectives on the matters that truly make a difference in our community.
Stay tuned for our full length discussion with Mayor Carolyn Parrish on @MiranetTalks on YouTube!
📢 Community Rally – Stand for Mississauga’s Future
🗓️ July 12th | 2-4pm📍 Mississauga
Join Us
Residents are rallying in support of the City of Mississauga’s Official Plan and responsible development practices.
This is a stand against developers who are bypassing local planning rules and appealing directly to the Ontario Land Tribunal (OLT)—often succeeding despite municipal rejection.
The rally underscores concerns about provincial overreach under Premier Doug Ford’s leadership and the erosion of local decision-making.
Why It Matters
Protecting the democratic planning process.
Respecting local governance and resident voices.
Demanding accountability and transparency in development approvals.
Ensuring that no one is above the rules—regardless of wealth or political influence.
Media Invitation
Members of the press are invited to attend and cover this important civic event.
This rally marks a critical moment in the fight for sustainable, community-led growth in Mississauga.
MIRANET Talks with Angela Carter Angela J Carter Advisor, Strategic Initiatives Roots Community Services Inc. and Gurpreet Malhotra Gurpreet Malhotra MA Chief Executive Officer Indus Community Services.
Join us as we discuss issues such as municipal and provincial funding for visible minority communities, how services are affected by the underfunding of Peel region how a lack of media coverage hurts engagement amongst our communities.
Housing Insecurity has been a Canadian issue for a very long time and particulary in Peel Region where many youth and those struggling with mental health and addiction issues often get left behind. Join us for a discussion with Christy Upshall CEO of Our Place Peel and Cory O’Handley, Director of Housing and Service Innovation(SHIP) as we get into such topics as Provincial and Municipal funding, affordable housing iniatives and what these organizations services focus on.
With the February 27th Provincial Election fast approaching, Ontarians face a crucial decision: Who has the vision and plan to shape a better future for our province? To find out, we reached out to every candidate, asking what they would do to improve daily life in Ontario. Here’s what 4 of them had to say.
Watch Part 2 of our conversation with Meghan Nicholls, CEO of Food Banks Mississauga! Together, we’ll explore the pressing challenges facing local food banks—from funding and resource shortages to food distribution and strategic partnerships—all against the backdrop of today’s tough economic climate. Food insecurity is something that should concern us all. This discussion will open your eyes and hopefully give us all a better understanding of one of your most urgent social dilemmas. Please LIKE/SHARE/SUBSCRIBE…help us get this important dialogue out!
MIRANET would like to thank all who attended our Mayoral Candidate Challenge last week.
We feel that a wide variety of pressing topics were discussed and we hope that as a result, at least a few came away with a much clearer picture on which way they were leaning.
Impacts of Bill 23 on Municipal and Regional Budgets and Property Taxes
MIRANET (Mississauga Residents’ Association Network) has been closely following discussions and proposals at the Province with regards to the Conservation Authorities Act and the More Homes Built Faster Act since their inception. We have been vocal advocates for the people of Mississauga and the Region of Peel, pushing back against short-sighted and harmful policies proposed by the Ford Government. The passing of Bill 23 will have far-reaching impacts on Southern Ontario that will affect both present and future generations. Implementation of this bill will do nothing to achieve the objective of more housing stock, nor will it address the affordability issue; it will instead lead to irreversible harms to the environment and the people that it sustains and supports. The Greenbelt provides essential services whose economic value outweighs any perceived benefits from paving it over:
Agricultural lands to provide sustainable and reliable food sources. The impacts of fire, drought, flooding and disease on traditional suppliers in California, Florida, and western Canada call into question their long-term viability as large-scale centres of food production
Environmental services provided by the Greenbelt include marshes that act as carbon sinks, filter water to remove contaminants, provide downstream flood protection, and are home to critically threatened species
Greenspace and parkland where people can experience nature and reap the health benefits of being in the natural environment
The proposed legislation under Bill 23 will likely fail to meet the majority of its objectives:
Labour economists have questioned the goal of building 1.5 million homes in ten years; with the current labour shortage this goal is not realistic. They have also pointed out that there are many parcels of Municipal and Provincial land within the GTA that are sitting undeveloped. Why have these not been inventoried and earmarked for housing development? Better yet why have they not been earmarked for subsidized housing and purpose-built rental housing?
Many Ontario Mayors have voiced their objections to developers sitting on large tracts of land which have been slated for development with all necessary permits in place. Years after Municipal and Regional staff have reviewed development proposals, done their due diligence, and issued permits, these developers have yet to put shovels in the ground. Why does the government not require these developers to proceed within a specific time frame after receiving permits, particularly due to the demands of the More Homes Built Faster Act? What is preventing the Province from enacting legislation to require developers, with lands already slated for development and permits in hand, to proceed with their projects immediately? Would this not be a more-cost effective and rational approach to the housing shortage, while also protecting the Greenbelt?
Green building standards no longer need to be met. These homes will therefore not be adapted to the new climate, making them more expensive to run than their green counterparts. Only high-income earners will be able to afford them
The bill does not provide information on who will resource these new developments. Will residents be required to commute to established communities for groceries, healthcare, and entertainment?
Young people, immigrants, seniors, and the working poor will not be able to afford these new homes because prices have continued to increase while wages and salaries have remained stagnant, leading to a shift towards the rental market; inflationary factors have led to increased mortgage rates and overall increases in long-term mortgage carrying costs. The cost of rental housing is at an all-time high, therefore many young people and immigrants, despite having full-time jobs, are not able to build equity through property ownership or financial savings and investments
Limiting the ability of the Conservation Authorities to conduct risk assessments and make deputations is highly problematic. The Greenbelt was meant to protect downstream communities from extreme flooding events. We are currently experiencing more frequent and more intense rainfall events; the increasing amount of rainfall will lead to an increase in the geographic footprint of existing floodplains. Overland flood insurance is not provided by home insurance policies; in pursuing their plan of building homes on the Greenbelt, the Ford government threatens to put existing housing stock at risk, increasing the probability of devasting floods which could leave many Ontarians homeless and bankrupt
There is enough available land within municipal boundaries to address the housing shortage. This land comes with preexisting infrastructure and resources; it would therefore be substantially cheaper to develop. The current plan to build on the Greenbelt is more expensive and destructive; from a business perspective this is the worst possible option and the most financially reckless
Critics of the bill have stated that there is little evidence to demonstrate that the homes built under this plan will be more affordable. What has also become evident is that this bill is making existing housing stock far less affordable as costs previously paid by developers will now be paid by homeowners and renters. Taxpayers are essentially subsidizing the developers’ business model while reaping none of the financial benefits and all of the potential harms with no avenues of protest or redress.
Bill 23 proposes numerous changes to the Development Charges Act and the Planning Act which will significantly impact how municipal governments recover costs associated with growth. The City of Mississauga first presented their 2023 budget proposal in June 2022. The increase in municipal and regional levies in this budget were meant to address shortfalls due to Covid-19. Revenue losses due to people remaining at home during lockdown, increased expenditures for Covid supports, supply chain issues and inflationary pressures were all accounted for. The passing of Bill 23 required a reassessment of the budget and residential property taxes. While it is uncertain how Bill 23 will impact two-tier municipalities, MIRANET used the most current data to calculate potential increases to residential property taxes.
At their recent Budget Committee meetings, the City of Mississauga approved a 3.0% budget increase for 2023 (on February 1, 2023) and the Region of Peel approved a 2.8% budget increase (February 2, 2023). These increases do not reflect the potential impacts of Bill 23 on Municipal and Regional budgets. Further analysis is required and is being carried out against the backdrop of Municipal audits to be conducted by the Province. In Mississauga and the Region of Peel, there is the added risk/unknown posed by the threat of either amalgamation (favoured by Patrick Brown) or secession (favoured by Bonnie Crombie). The Premier has stated that he will sit down with the Mayors to decide on the best approach. The only role for the electorate in this process is to foot the bill for the political aspirations of our leaders.
The benefits of secession versus amalgamation have long been debated by economists. The promises of the reduction in duplication of services and greater economies of scale are not borne out by the data. The same holds true for secession, or de-amalgamation, where the division of assets and debts can be divisive and usually ends in litigation; furthermore, the results don’t always deliver more simplified governance structures.
The residents of the Region of Peel have been here once before; when the Ford government came to power in 2018 they had plans to reimagine health care delivery in the Province, simplify the process of providing supports to families of children with autism, and find efficiencies in municipal operating budgets through amalgamation. The Province failed to provide any convincing arguments (based on good quality data and thoughtful analysis from subject matter experts as opposed to vague invocations of cost savings based on the most tenuous of grasps on reality) and public feedback was resoundingly in favour of the status quo.
According to the 2021 Census Data released by Statistics Canada, the population of the Region of Peel now stands at 1,450,000 million people. Our leaders are planning profound long-term changes to our governance structures without any real public input. Given the challenges of health care reform, inflationary pressures on the economy, increasing inequality, and municipal budget shortfalls, the Province has more than enough on its plate to deal with. The only people who should decide on changes to the governance structure are the 1.45 million people who call the region home.
Should the Province decide to ride roughshod over the democratic rights of residents and proceed with either amalgamation or secession, the potential financial and legal risks are unknown. We have no clear assessment of what the costs to the taxpayer may be.
In order to offset the impacts of Bill 23, the Province has stated that it will make Municipalities “whole” through financial compensation for the loss of development charges, but as yet, no binding agreements are in place. We have therefore provided an analysis of the hypothetical property tax impacts in the event that the Province does not address the funding gap. Table 1 summarizes the tax scenarios in the 2023 City of Mississauga and Region of Peel budgets proposed in June 2022. Table 2 summarizes the approved 2023 City of Mississauga and Region of Peel budgets, as well as hypothetical tax increases in the event of a funding shortfall.
Table 1: 2022 Proposals for City of Mississauga and Region of Peel Budgets
Table 2: 2023 Approved Budgets for City of Mississauga and Region of Peel including Potential Impacts from Bill 23
The education levy is determined by the Provincial government and this rate is projected to remain unchanged. It is also worth noting that the Region has increased the Average Utility Rate by 7.9% impacting both business and residents (further details may be found at https://www.peelregion.ca/budget/2023/pdf/2023-executive-summary.pdf)
Table 3 contains a summary of the tax levies for 2022, for 2023 (recently approved and excluding Bill 23 impacts, these numbers are hypothetical until the City and Region announce their official levies), and for 2023 including estimated potential impacts of Bill 23.
Table 3: MIRANET Calculation of Revised Municipal and Regional Tax Levies
Table 4 contains a summary of property taxes for 2022, 2023 (approved year-over-year increase, to be confirmed by the City and the Region), and 2023 (including estimates of potential Bill 23 impacts).
Table 4: Calculation of Various Property Tax Scenarios
Anyone wishing to calculate their property taxes for any of these scenarios can do so with the following formulae:
Total property taxes (TotP)
TotP =MPAC Assessed Home Value × (Total Levy ÷100)
Average property tax by installment (AvgP)
AvgP =TotP ÷6
Any approved changes to the property tax rate will not be reflected in the first three installments of 2023; instead, these first three payments will reflect the 2022 rates and the difference will be averaged over the final three payments of 2023. As an example, an individual whose home has been assessed at $730,000 will pay three installments of $1,009.51 each in the spring of 2023 and the remaining installments will be $1,152.96 each. While the installments collected by the City are not exact averages of the total amount owing, these numbers are very useful for personal finance and budget calculations.
The total amount of property taxes in each of these scenarios is illustrated in Figure 1 and the dollar value increase in property taxes with and without the impact of Bill 23 is illustrated in Figure 2.
Figure 1: Property Tax Increases for 2023 prior to Bill 23 and for 2023 with Bill 23
Figure 2: Property Taxes for 2022, 2023, and 2023 with Bill 23
Interested in helping with the upcoming Federal By-Election? We need strong, capable people to help with the end of the day return of materials from the different polling locations. Here are the details:
Position: Election Night General Help (Support Officer)
Hourly Pay: $15.86 per hour minimum of 3 hours
Job Requirements: Able to lift up to 30 lbs. Able to bend and lift items out of vehicles. Moving materials and equipment being returned to designated spots. Able to manage a fast paced environment in both indoor and outdoor conditions. Minimum 14 years of age on December 12, 2022. Be legally allowed to work in Canada.
The South West Mississauga Ratepayers’ Associations (SWMRA) are hosting a virtual candidates meeting on Tuesday May 31st, 2022 at 7:30pm. Join to hear what candidates have to say.
In recent years, growth in the GTA has caused many problems. It is destroying some neighborhoods and building uncomfortably dense centers creating traffic gridlock and unlivable communities with few, if any, public amenities. Canada is also in the grip of a housing affordability crisis that has seen house prices triple in the past 10 years.
A Housing Affordability Task Force was formed by the Ontario government to generate ideas to address the housing crisis. It is interesting to note the task force was made up of primarily developers, financial intuitions and governmental agencies. Missing from the table are the most affected stakeholders such as non-profits, concerned citizen groups and the general public.
In March, the Mississauga Residents Association Network (MIRANET) along with more than 50 residents’ associations, non- partisan, and non-profit groups from across the GTA joined together to form A Better GTA (http://www.abettergta.com). A Better GTA was formed to collectively raise concerns of residents across the GTA who believe that there exists a lack of a sensible growth and vision, along with overdevelopment of our communities.
A Better GTA, including MIRANET, wrote to Premier Doug Ford on March 1st to outline the need for full transparency requested a deferral of any implementation of the findings of the task force report, until residents and the private sector had an equal opportunity to address their concerns and offer alternative solutions.
The current housing task force report is built on a false premise and its recommendations would not solve the problem. Instead, the recommendations would result in weakening the power of municipalities and citizens to help determine the nature of the communities that they live in.
The City of Mississauga is very concerned about the recommendations made by the Affordability Task Force. On March 10th the City of Mississauga issued their review of the Affordability Task Force report card which outlined the City’s position on each recommendation. See link https://www.mississauga.ca/publication/ontario-housing-affordability-task-force-report-card
From the 62 task force recommendations that the city reviewed, they were opposed to 29, in support of 19 and neutral to 14.
The solutions to the GTA’s issues with housing, transportation, climate management, and more are not out of our reach. We can build a great city that provides for all of this and addresses our affordability problems. However, first, we ask that your government defer any further action on implementing any legislation which would enact the current TOC policies or the Task Force report. This concern is clearly echoed by many municipal councils and Mayoral associations throughout the GTA. There is no rush. Give residents the opportunity to make our case.
A comprehensive, win-win and durable solution must involve ALL stakeholders. It is not too late to get community buy-in to solve the affordability crises. A Summit is critical to bring all affected stakeholders to the table and come up with reasonable solutions that work for all. This issue concerns us all. Get your voices heard and reach out to your MPP.
MIRANET is greatly concerned about recent statements in the news by former Councilor Karen Ras concerning workplace harassment. Various news outlets have reported disturbing alleged behaviour by a City Councilor that resulted in a police investigation. No criminal charges were filed, and the incident was buried. MIRANET believes the Mayor, Councilors and the Integrity Commissioner should and must be held accountable to the constituents they represent and all the residents of Mississauga.
Why was the workplace harassment not investigated by the Integrity Commissioner and the Mayor in April of last year? A toxic work environment is detrimental to elected officials, City staff, and the public they are meant to serve. It seems that the complaints process of the City of Mississauga is broken. Where was City leadership?
What is the point of having a Municipal Code of Conduct, as well as a Governance Committee, if procedures are not applied and the committee is not consulted? Governing around a myriad of different voices and opinions is a challenge at best, but civility is the least that the public should expect from their elected officials. Mississauga citizens deserve answers, apologies, positive change and above all transparency.
MIRANET will be watching closely as this story unfolds.
Peel Weekly News carried an article by MIRANET Council, taking stock of the past year. MIRANET will hold its Annual General Meeting on 2 June. The article is below.
Do you support Mississauga having its own Auditor General?
Mississauga Residents' Association Network 